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City TV’s new fall shows heavy on comedy, nostalgia

City’s parent company Rogers Media gambled its future heavily on NHL rights, which critics say left little wiggle room for other programming.

Returning show Sunnyside is one of the few original Canadian series on City this fall. From left, Patrice Goodman, Pat Thornton, Kathleen Phillips, Rob Norman, Kevin Vidal and Alice Moran as just a few of the characters they play in Sunnyside. (Allen Fraser)

Rogers Media, the cable giant that owns the broadcaster City, unveiled a fall slate that is heavy on the nostalgia and comedy but short on new Canuck content.

The Muppets return to prime time, along with the TV comebacks of ’80s icons John Stamos and Rob Lowe in separate comedies. There are 12 new series and 11 returning series.

City’s comedy slate is particularly strong. That includes James Brolin and Colin Hanks in Life in Pieces, about one family reliving their milestone moments through different point of views, and Ryan Murphy’s Scream Queens, a kind of American Horror Story lite, which Murphy also produced.

The Mindy Project, which was cancelled by Fox and revived by Internet streaming company Hulu, has also been picked up by City, the only traditional broadcast network in North America to do so.

City, the smallest of the big three private broadcasters, which includes Bell Media’s CTV and Shaw’s Global, did not reveal any new Canadian series. Public broadcaster CBC revealed its fall lineup last week with several new dramas and reality shows.

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City’s parent company Rogers Media gambled heavily on National Hockey League rights to the tune of a record $5.2 billion. Some critics say that has left little wiggle room for other programming.

In May, Rogers cut 110 jobs in its TV operations, mainly at its OMNI multicultural stations across Canada. Newscasts in various languages including Punjabi, Mandarin and Italian were cut, prompting outrage from community groups.

The Canadian Ethnocultural Council, which represents 30 ethnic organizations, called it a “death knell” for multiculturalism.

Rogers Media president Keith Pelley has said OMNI is in “financial crisis.” OMNI and City together lost more than $85 million last year according to documentation filed with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission.

But the bet on hockey may be paying off, although at some cost: the Sportsnet brand saw double digit audience growth over the last year, with the sports broadcaster beating Bell Media’s TSN for the first time in 17 years, according to figures supplied by Rogers.

“The industry is changing dramatically; you have to be prepared to make changes,” said Pelley in an interview with the Star. “We made the necessary changes that we felt would benefit consumers and were financially viable.”

Pelley is leaving Rogers to head the PGA European golf tour this year. He says he is leaving a “Rogers that is poised for the future,” including relationships with Vice Media and the FX group of channels.

The Muppets return to prime time with a contemporary, documentary-style show. For the first time, audiences will explore the Muppets’ personal lives and relationships.

LIFE IN PIECES

Starring James Brolin and Colin Hanks, the show is about one big happy family and their sometimes awkward, often hilarious and ultimately beautiful milestone moments.

GRANDFATHERED

Produced by and starring John Stamos as Jimmy Martino, Grandfathered follows a restaurateur who is used to being the most suave, most handsome and most single person in the room. All that changes when Jimmy is surprised by his adult son, Gerald, and Gerald’s baby daughter, Edie.

THE GRINDER

Rob Lowe plays a famous TV lawyer at a crossroads. When Dean Sanderson’s TV series ends, he decides to move home and join his family’s real law firm — despite having no formal education, no licence to practise and no experience in a courtroom.

SCREAM QUEENS

American Horror Story producer Ryan Murphy’s comic thriller is about a string of murders in a sorority house at Wallace University. It stars Emma Roberts and Lea Michele with Jamie Lee Curtis.

LITTLE BIG SHOTS

The comedy/variety series from Ellen DeGeneres and Steve Harvey features the world’s most talented and extraordinary kids, showcasing young musicians, singers and dancers in America.

RUSH HOUR

A reimagining of the hit film franchise that starred Jackie Chan and Chris Tucker, this buddy-cop drama is about a maverick LAPD detective and a by-the-book detective from Hong Kong who knock heads when they are forced to partner.

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